Throwback Thursday: Bicycle Thieves (1948)

Bicycle Thieves is one of the first classic films I saw and I was completely marveled by it. Reminiscing the film, it still gives me goosebumps and still manages to compel me.

The film has been considered as the greatest film of all time by Sight & Sound just four years after its' release. Though it was not able to maintain the top spot, it still managed to be one of the top ten in British Film Institute's list of films you should see by the age of 14. Sadly, I was way beyond 14 when I saw it, but it was still great nonetheless.

Bicycle Thieves or otherwise known as Ladri di biciclette was an Italian film by directed by Vittorio De Sica released on 1948. The story is very simple; it tells of a poor father in search for his stolen bicycle all over a post-World War II Rome. Without this bicycle, he would get fired from his job and would not be able to provide for his family.

"Seems lame", was my first reaction upon reading the premise of the film but if there is one thing I learned over the past few years, never be too judge mental based on a movie's premise and trailer.

What I definitely love about the film is how it presented the life after the World War II. More importantly, how the people lived after the war. How their decisions affected not only their lives but also other people as well. Throughout the film you will see how there are different people just trying to get through their day. You will see how different people are struggling with their lives hoping for something good to come. 

Sadly, the film is not for everyone. What makes this film a bit tricky is the fact that on the surface, it's all about a man and his son searching in vain for his stolen bicycle. De Sica was wise enough to challenge how much a viewer would be able to understand and how much would he want to understand. He made us think outside the box. To take in more than what we see. Watching this with the goal of finding out whether the protagonist finds his bicycle or not will not help you in appreciating the film.

This masterpiece is indeed timeless. More than 50 years after its release, the film is still relevant in today's society. It mirrors it to the point of nostalgia and sadness that of all those years that passed, though not much has changed, hope still remains.

Epic: A Movie For Kids at Heart

Blue Sky Studio's latest animated film is sure to bring in not only children but also adults who are kid at hearts as well. Children would most probably enjoy the fantasy animated film while the adults might mostly appreciate the animation. 

Epic is about a young teenage girl named M.K. (short for Mary Katherine) who reluctantly spends time with his estranged father who is obsessed with the existence of tiny creatures in the forest. Things between the two of them don't go smoothly as planned which causes M.K. to try leaving him for good, but that plan doesn't go smoothly either since she soon finds herself in the secret world of the leafmen, protectors of the forest. She must now go on an adventure to save the forest from those who try to destroy it while learning valuable lessons along the way.

One aspect of the film worth praising is its great animation. The design and the intricate details make the movie vibrant and pleasing to the eyes without crossing the point of exaggeration and headaches. The setting of the movie would make your imagination go wild of how much possibilities and adventures can be done in a vast forest despite being very tiny. 

As for the characters, they are actually quite amusing. Each character has his/her own distinct personality that would make them memorable. However, the characterization is not as perfect as it seems. What makes an animated film successful to both children and adults is how well the character develops. A very common factor in animated films is a protagonist who is barely desirable at the start but would develop throughout the film and come out stronger, more memorable and someone that the kids can actually look up to. The protagonist must grow and must be able to inspire his/her viewers, especially the children. Sadly, the film wasn't able to do so. Two of the protagonist in the movie had very fast transition form their old self to their new one. By the end of the movie, it was as if a change did not happen at all. Other supporting characters were no different and suffered the same fate of the mediocre characterization. 

Another miss for the film is the fact that there's too much going on to the point of complexity and plot holes. Not to mention, the fact that you would remind yourself that what you just watched was only a children's movie makes it more frustrating. There are too many ideas floating around that it's a pity that they were ignored and weren't explored further. They should have been better left out or better yet, simplified.

Nonetheless, the film did bring out good laughs from the audience but it could have been funnier. A few lines were a miss but most of them are worth a laugh. The voice acting was well done and mostly believable. There are plenty of famous names who contributed their voice for the movie like Amanda Seyfried, Josh Hutcherson, and even Beyonce that sometimes, I couldn't take it seriously knowing it's them speaking, but they all did a good job and that's all that matters.

Basically Epic is worth watching but don't expect to be blown away like you would be when watching a Pixar film. If ever they do make a sequel, which I think they will, they should improve on their characters and need to put more inspiration to gain the approval of both children and adults alike.


Rating: 2.5/5

Throwback Thursday: Citizen Kane (1941)

The life of a lover of the arts and film cannot be guaranteed complete unless he has seen Orson Welles' masterpiece Citizen Kane. Citizen Kane has been considered as the best film for five consecutive times (1962-2002) based on Sight & Sound's poll of critics until 2012 wherein it was replaced by Hitchcock's Vertigo. 

Citizen Kane tells the story of a man named Charles Foster Kane whose who rose from rugs to riches and how his life was turned upside down for his search for power. The story is told in a flashback where a reporter is trying to figure out what the last words of Charles Kane, "Rosebud", meant. 

What I truly love about Citizen Kane is the characterization of Charles Foster Kane. There is emotional attachment to the viewer and Kane. You would feel and sympathize as you literally watch him grow. This emotional attachment and the mystery of 'Rosebud' would not only keep the viewers guessing and expectant but also caring of the situation that will happen soon to the protagonist.

There is are also great morals to the movie. Simple morals such as 'money can't buy us happiness' is explored and as the story goes deeper, so do the morals as we see them branch out to different lessons and aspects of life. We see how man can be manipulative and crude for the sake of power, we see man's transformation from being the mighty hero to the pitiful villain. And only in our darkest and final moments that we look back and ask ourselves if it was a life well-lived. 

For these reasons, I believe that Citizen Kane is indeed a work of art that left a huge impact in the movie industry. Personally, what I find really remarkable about it is its storytelling. But aside from that, its use of cinematography, special effects, and music served as a great inspiration for other classic films released during its time. 

Despite the technological advancements in the field of film today, Citizen Kane has left a legacy that will never be forgotten for many more years to come.

The Great Gatsby: 'Great' Is An Overstatement

One of America's finest piece of literature has yet again witnessed a movie adaptation for the fifth time under the direction of Baz Luhrmann. This time it soared high and unfortunately got lost. 

For those unaware of the synopsis of The Great Gatsby, it all takes place during the roaring twenties at the fictional town of West Egg. Narrated by Nick Carraway, he tells the story of a mysterious millionaire named Jay Gatsby and his love for Nick's cousin, Daisy Buchanan. Seems simple enough, but the novel and the film itself discuss various themes like self-indulgence, excess, resistance to change, and so much more. It basically reflects the lives of the Americans living the American Dream.

Sadly, I wasn't able to read the novel before going to the cinemas but on the bright side, I had a clean slate in my mind and was unbiased, not knowing what to expect from the movie.


Basically, we have Jay Gatsby who lives the life that any man would want to live. He seems to have everything that man desires except for one: the woman. He is madly in love to Daisy Buchanan for the past five years and he has a wild dream that he wants to put into a reality with woman he loves. Sadly, not everything goes exactly into what he hopes for.

The film seems to stay faithful to the novel, (I say 'seems' since I've only read the summary in wiki), but it did not leave any lasting effect that the novel would have. It keeps you waiting for two hours of CGI only to bring you something not worth having. The movie did explore the themes present in the book but sadly, it wouldn't make you care until the last few minutes of the movie and by the time you do start caring, the movie ends.

The movie was not all that bad though, the effects and editing are marvelous and breathtaking as expected for a 3D movie, but it wouldn't exactly be that bad in 2D either. 

The Great Gatsby is an extravagant and lavish mansion on the exterior but lacks the essence of what would make you call it a home.


Rating: 2/5

Evil Dead: Bloody Faithful

Evil Dead serves as the reboot of the Evil Dead series back in 1980s and a loose continuation of it. The movie is about five teenagers who venture into the woods with one goal: to help their drug junkie friend to live a better life, and what better way to do it than a rehab in the middle of the forest.

Mia (Jane Levy), the druggie, is forced to spend a getaway in a cabin in the woods in order to clean herself after almost dying due to overdose. With her are her two friends and brother David  (Shiloh Fernandez) and his girlfriend. Mia has not seen his brother for a long time already so they have a rough start at first. Unbeknownst to them is the Book of the Dead waiting to be opened which would give life to their most terrifying nightmares ever.

Before going to the cinemas and watching this movie, I made sure to watch the original series at first to know what changes they brought to the table. Thankfully, I'm not disappointed.

The best thing I loved about this movie is how it pays great homage to the original series. (geek mode for a bit) If you've watched the trilogy beforehand, you would see this reboot in an entirely different light. In the entire length of the film, there would always be a reference to the old films which makes it a success as a reboot. There are many reboots and remakes right now that don't give good regard to the original film at all. There were lots of moments in the movie wherein I smile not because it's funny, but because I recognize in which film from the original they took it from. But say you didn't watch the original series and don't plan to do so, there is no need to fear of being lost while watching the film. Its goal is to entertain the original fans and to attract new ones.

Another thing that I love in the movie is how the two main actors of the movie was given a deeper character background and not just mere puppets forced to act inside a box. This helped very much in the development of the story in the movie. Sadly, the other characters fall short in establishing a persona of their own.

Evil Dead this time decided to fully go on horror mode unlike its predecessors that were a combination of horror and comedy. It didn't have much humor like the first film but I leave that for you guys to decide whether that's good or bad.

Director Alvarez did a good job in making this film and one of the things that I liked was the use of the classic horror scares. He made use of very cliche horror scares that one may have seen too many for his lifetime but it surprisingly works in Evil Dead. Why? He took all those horror cliches you know and puts a twist on them. I have to say it's very risky choosing to use such scares in a new audience who is harder to please. Weirdly enough, what made the original Evil Dead scary was the very unexpected screams it would give you. Moments where you think everything is safe then boom, you're dead :) I was looking for it in the reboot but sadly it didn't give any. Lots of moments where you would expect and actually want something to pop up but there's none.

Though this movie is based on something old, I think it would fare well with the audience today since this might actually be new to them. Yes, a group of teenagers in a cabin in the woods may be overused but what I mean by new is how it is presented. (The trailer itself had too much blood already) Overall, the Evil Dead is Good.

Rating: 4/5

The Host: "Agonizing"

Been a while since I blogged. Too long actually. I figured I'd do so since one of the film industry's brilliant minds has passed away, Roger Ebert. He's actually someone whose reviews I would often read to see if a film is worth watching. So this movie review is dedicated in his memory. Sadly, this movie is not worth anyone's remembrance.

Let me first share how reluctant I was in watching this film. But the thing about me is I always give movies the benefit of the doubt. I can only say it's good or bad only and only if I watched it myself. Soooo...

20 minutes into the film I wanted to walk out of the theater already. Yes it was that bad (in my opinion). Let me point out my complaints:

1. The novel to movie adaptation

The moment Melanie talked to herself, I was like "Wait, is this serious?" I haven't read the book, but the more I was watching the film, I was trying to see it as a novel. (to the point that I even googled it on my phone during the film) The taking-to-oneself MAY have worked for the novel but it does not work in the big screen. This is one book that should have never been made into a film in the first place.

2. Unrealistic

No, I'm not talking about the alien. I'm talking about those simple human actions and decisions that are so obviously scripted and would never happen in real life. Example, we have the alien-Melanie almost killed by some human guy and the next thing we know, she falls in love with him in the span of, I don't know, one or two days? Same goes for the human, as a matter of fact, he (human) even took the side of the alien against his own brother. Now some of you might be saying "It's fiction! Not a documentary". Well, if that's the way you think then maybe we can all just start making movies then.

3. Neither exciting or romantic

It was stale and boring. Maybe they wanted less action to focus on romance but the love story wasn't anything to be complimented either. I found it rather awkward.

It pains me writing this review so I'll stop here. What really irks me the most in this film is how unrealistic it is. Not to mention cliche. A "making-out-in-the-rain" flashback???? Really? It was silly. I felt like it was a comedy film but even as a comedy I probably wouldn't have laughed. I apologize to all the fans out there but I just didn't like it.

The moment alien-Melanie was given a new body, I walked out of the theater already. Figured it really didn't have anything else to give.

I actually like "The Host" (Gwoemul), a 2006 South Korean film, much better. 

Rating: .5/5

Movie Catch Up!

I've been gone for a long time and I've watched numerous movies already that I wasn't able to give a review to. So I hope this makes up for it.


1. Life of Pi

Aesthetically wonderful, not to mention the plot that goes with it. It may be a bit boring once in a while but it would all make sense by the end. It can be a bit confusing if you don't listen well.

2. Les Miserables

First movie to ever make me cry in the cinemas. Outstanding performance by the actors. Hands down, a great film.

3. Warm Bodies

Romantic and cute. Has the tendency to be cliche but it all works by the end. I expected so much more from it though but it was good nonetheless.

4. Upside Down

Very anti climatic ending. It was a bit draggy. The climax was good and made you expect something but it would leave you hanging and probably even pissed. But nice concept.

5. A Good Day To Die Hard

I expected a lot from this film since I'm a huge fan of the series. Sadly it sucked. Too unbelievable. Too much action that left the story in mid-air.

6. Jack The Giant Slayer

Never really expected from a fairy tale adaptation. It was tolerable nonetheless.

7. Stoker

Love the film. Great story line. Great characterization and a great performance from all the actors.

8. Oz: the Great & Powerful

Started off good, let me down halfway through, nice ending. Great visuals and SFX though.

9. The Croods

Entertaining and hilarious. It was lengthy though, could have done better if some unnecessary scenes were cut out.

10. Apartment 1303

Crappy movie. Wooden acting, bad story.

11. G.I. Joe: Retaliation

Didn't live up to the hype. Too much fight and action scenes that it clouded the story. I saw great potential in it though. Some scenes were overly-exaggerated just like the destruction of London. 


This is basically what I missed to write a review to. I'll be doing my best to continue this blog from now on.